Tag Archives: romance

In the small town of Cougar, struggling single mother and veterinary assistant Teresa Lansing is still bruised from a failed relationship when Frank McAllister sweeps her off her feet.

Frank is a big-city SWAT officer who moved to Cougar only four months ago. He’s handsome, charming, forceful, very sexy, and a bit mysterious. He had his eye on Teresa even before they met and is pushing for a serious relationship right away.

Teresa finds his intense courtship flattering, and the sex is fabulous, but she doesn’t want her deaf six-year-old son to be hurt again. Her former fiancé cheated on her when he got drunk after being unjustly fired, but he loves her and her son, and the whirlwind romance is complicated by his efforts to win Teresa back.

He proclaimed he didn’t want to push Teresa but that’s exactly what he kept on doing.

Date 1: He asked to meet her son and kept asking even though she said it was too early. He repeatedly brought up her exes despite how uncomfortable she was regarding the topic. He also offered to help her financially because money means nothing to him since he had a lot of it.

Date 2: He paid the babysitter despite Teresa stating firmly “No — that’s my job!” He tried to convince her to have sex with him and again brought up her ex when she repeatedly declined his advances.

Date 3: He asked to take her and Aiden away from the weekend. She said no. He then said just the two of them could go. As a parent, I would never leave my child with a sitter for the entire weekend. Maybe some single parents would if they were dating a person for a long while but definitely not after only a few dates.

Weekend trip: Again, Frank was a pushy a-hole. She didn’t want a new cell phone. Teresa didn’t want Aiden to have a cell phone since he was only 6 but her protests meant nothing to Frank. He also insulted her best friend Alix and Alix’s daughter.

I could’ve expressed my feelings regarding the other dates but it’s obvious I am not a fan of Frank. Really, I can’t fathom why Teresa agreed to a second date or a third date, etcetera, etcetera. Seriously, it doesn’t take a genius to realize Frank is unhinged, mentally unstable. However, it did take a lot of willpower to continue reading this book. Sadly to say, I didn’t find it entertaining and I wasn’t surprised by what became of Frank.

The only bright spot of The Rebound Effect was Aiden, Teresa’s son. He was adorable and proved extremely helpful when it mattered most.

Linda Griffin is a native of San Diego and has a BA in English from San Diego State University and an MLS from UCLA. She retired from a position as the fiction librarian for the San Diego Public Library in order to spend more time on her writing. Her stories have been published in numerous journals, including The Binnacle , Eclectica, Orbis, and The Nassau Review. The Rebound Effect is her second novel from The Wild Rose Press. Seventeen Days was published in October 2018. She enjoys Scrabble, movies, and travel, as well as the three R’s—reading, writing, and research.

Novelist, Reviewer, Content Editor, Blogger, T-shirt Wearer, and Professional Snacker; Tracy A. Ball is a native Baltimorean and a veteran West Virginian whose family is blended from three cultures. She has opened her home to foster children, drug addicts, AIDS victims, and anyone who needed an assist. She knows people who have committed murder and people who have dined with the pope.

Which is why she writes sweet stories about tough love, tough stories about sweet love, and takes long naps.

While recovering from a devastating betrayal, Solina becomes increasingly drawn to Thorin as he helps her hunt down Skoll, the mythical wolf who vowed to kill her. If she can find and destroy the beast, she’ll bring a swift and brutal end to her enemies’ schemes. But nothing ever goes as planned in Solina’s strange new world.

During her search for Skoll, Solina uncovers a plot to unleash a battalion of legendary soldiers and launch an apocalyptic war. Before she and her allies can locate the fabled army, several ghosts from her past return to haunt her. Solina must fight for life and the fate of the world, or her hopes for love and a peaceful future will go up in flames.

Mystery and deception go hand in hand in the battle for ultimate power.Odin and Thor’s descendants call forth their allies; no one plans to cower.Lord of the Rain Dance shall stand by his Sun.The Valkyries will fight to protect the chosen one.Every move they make is being watched.No room for error; their plan must not be botched.

Do not let your guard down when you see a wolf or a raven.Unite and fight or retreat to a safe haven.Solina must survive; she shall not perish.Keep her safe Thorin for she’s the one you truly cherish.

Okay, I don’t know if that poem is cheesy or not but I love it. Guess what else I love? If you said Molten Dusk then you’d be correct.

Like the other stories in the series, Karissa gave us more than one suspenseful – lives on the line – battle scenes. We also finally got what we were all waiting for….. Solina and Thorin give in to their feelings for one another. Like Baldur said, “It’s about time.”

Similar to Midnight Burning and Arctic Dawn, Molten Dusk has deception, blood, surprise twists, tears, and love. It was a great book and I highly recommend others buy it today.

Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky named Bonnie. Some of her favorite things are coffee, dark chocolate, super heroes and Star Wars. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. In the summer she’s camping, kayaking, and boating at the lake, and in the winter, she’s curled up with a good book.

Gunfighter Josiah Wyland is tired of meeting his reputation in every town, of seeing his daddy’s blue eyes glaring back at him from the mirror, of knowing he’ll never be loved.

Seven years ago, he was just a boy, smitten with a girl, wishing for a life like everyone else’s. That was before he shot and killed a man, before he rode with a gang of Arizona Territory’s most indiscriminate villains, and before he ended up in Yuma Prison.

Now Josiah is a bounty hunter, trying to avoid his father’s fate, still looking for a way to prove himself a better man. He gets his chance when Sheriff Rook Kelly sends Josiah to rescue his wayward bride.

After her parents’ deaths, sheltered Aimee traded freedom for protection. Desperate to escape the husband she’s come to fear, she discovers her best and only hope is a scarred stranger with a black past, deadly aim, and merciless blue eyes.

On the run from bandits, the sheriff’s posse, and a vengeful ex-lawman, Josiah and Aimee forge a connection, on a dark night in the desert wilderness, that is jeopardized when they return to civilization—where Josiah’s reputation threatens Aimee’s, where decent folk will never allow an unscrupulous no count to be worthy of a good woman’s love.

Buy the paperback and get the Kindle version FREE with Amazon Matchbook.

Morgan Lee Wylie, the author, didn’t skimp on the gun battles. In one scene, she had a gang of bandits riding after two men and a little lady, firing at will. In another section, she had characters facing off in a town where the good guys were outnumbered 4 to 1. In this particular standoff, it ended with dead bodies, wounded heroes, and a damsel needing rescued. Basically, everything I believe you’d find in Old West (Wild West) times. Definitely things we’ve witnessed on many a television show or movie focused on this time period.

Morgan also had a few scenes that were of the more intimate nature. Not all of them were laced with love and affection. Just like in present-day time, the Old West (Wild West) had many places and opportunities for men to quench their carnal desires. The only bedroom scene that bothered me was between Evelyn and Silas. I know she didn’t mind if he struck her in the face but I did as a reader. Swatting a butt cheek… I’m okay with that. Striking a face and drawing blood… that’s not my kink at all.

As for the romance portion of the book, Josiah and Aimee weren’t the only couple to fall in love. Actually, I’m not quite sure if they were my favorite pairing at all. There were two other couples that stole the show at times. (Omitting their names on purpose.)

As for the ending, the acronym WTF seems to sum it up perfectly. I couldn’t believe how it ended. This is not the ending I was hoping for and I think many readers will not be pleased by it as well.

Morgan Lee Wylie inherited a love of books from her mom who introduced her to Nancy Drew. She grew up reading everything from comics to classics, including many Star Wars novels.

Morgan first knew she wanted to write after reading The Outsiders in the seventh grade. But it took some more growing up and some life experience before she discovered what she wanted to express with her writing.

Morgan served in the United States Air Force then used the GI Bill to get her BA in English with Writing Emphasis from Boise State University. One professor noted her penchant for writing about characters that he deemed lowlifes. Years later, Morgan self-published her debut novel, dedicating it to her heroes: the loners, losers, outcasts, and underdogs.

Morgan Lee Wylie lives in Idaho with her husband, their newborn daughter, two ornery Mustangs, and a rambunctious German Shepherd.